Facebook, that place where many of us share too much, myself included. I’m browsing through my news feed, past memes and discussions of religion. It’s then I hear it. Gene therapy. These words are not new to me, I first heard about studies that aim to treat my specific form of blindness when I was…
Author: Connor Scott-Gardner
Studying Abroad for the Second Time
Most of you will know, but for those who don’t I’ll be spending next academic year studying in another country. I’m consumed with nervous excitement, with thoughts of planes and countries I have never visited before. I have always had the travel bug, but now more than ever I will get to live the dream….
Happy World Braille Day!
I started to learn braille when I was only a toddler. By the age of four and a half I entered school being able to read and write uncontracted braille. I then progressed onto grade 2 (contracted braille) and the maths and science codes. Braille was the foundation of my education. It enabled me to…
Four Years a Guide Dog Owner
It’s hard to believe that just over four years ago I started working with my first guide dog, Isla. We have attended two schools, started university, lived in another country and travelled to the US together. We are reaching our prime as a team, we’re at a stage where for the most part we work…
Being a blind student in 2016: A far cry from accessible
Being a student is many things. Being a blind student adds an extra layer onto all of them. For me, it has been laughter and friendship, discovering new places, selfie’s and food with great people. But it’s also been a pretty stressful experience, thanks to a lack of organisation on the part of my university….
When I Didn’t Have the Words
I only recently discovered the term ableism. Up until then I knew that being disabled changed the way people acted around me but I had no word to encompass what was happening. I struggled as a child to voice why I found the actions of other people so frustrating, why seemingly small things felt so…
I am not my dog
Having a dog can be a good thing. For some, it is a smoother, more effective way of travel. For others the cane is by far the better option. Both are perfectly valid experiences, what works for one blind person doesn’t for another. I have come to loathe the perception that my life must have…
Studying in Spain: an unforgettable experience
I’ve been back in England for 3 days now which is a bit hard to believe. Studying abroad has been one of the best experiences I’ve ever had and I’m so glad that I made the decision this time last year to investigate it. It took almost 6 months to organise and I had no…
Diversity in Literature: Disabled Characters and their Impact
I find bits of myself in all kinds of characters. Not just girls, not just white girls…not just white girls with a disability. But just because I see myself in people who don’t fit my demographic doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t diversify literature. I am always so hopeful, hopeful but nervous, when I buy a…
My isolating experience in a guide dogs support group
I joined a guide dogs facebook group and it was a mistake. A really big one actually. I recently decided to join an informal guide dogs facebook group. I’ve always been interested in finding out more about my dogs parents and a friend suggested that perhaps some people there would have heard of them. So…